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GAA15CA271

2015-09-23 · Show Low, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SOW

Current FAA registration · N5207G

Make / Model
CESSNA 305A
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19720606
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A68C42

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in quartering tailwind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a right main landing gear collapse.

Factual narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he used a "standard crosswind technique" during the final approach, but just before touchdown the nose of the airplane shifted 25 degrees to the left of the runway centerline. After touchdown, the pilot attempted to correct with the rudder and ailerons, but the airplane veered to the left and exited the runway surface. During the runway excursion the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing impacted the terrain. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

METEROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The pilot reported that there was a crosswind during the final approach, and the wind shifted to a quartering tailwind during the touchdown. About the time of the accident at the airport, an automated weather observing system reported the wind at 020 degrees true at 5 knots, which resulted in a quartering tailwind. The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he used a "standard crosswind technique" during the final approach, but just before touchdown the nose of the airplane shifted 25 degrees to the left of the runway centerline. After touchdown, the pilot attempted to correct with the rudder and ailerons, but the airplane veered to the left and exited the runway surface. During the runway excursion the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing impacted the terrain. The right wing sustained substantial damage.     The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

METEROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The pilot reported that there was a crosswind during the final approach, and the wind shifted to a quartering tailwind during the touchdown. About the time of the accident at the airport, an automated weather observing system reported the wind at 020 degrees true at 5 knots, which resulted in a quartering tailwind. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Ability to respond/compensate

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA271.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers